


Don't leave

by Glowsquid



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Confessions, Gen, Keith (Voltron) Has Abandonment Issues, Keith crying? In one of my fics? It's more likely than you'd think!, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Rescue Missions, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-13 02:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16884099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowsquid/pseuds/Glowsquid
Summary: Keith Kogane has some major abandonment issues.Lance finds out in a surprising way.





	Don't leave

**Author's Note:**

> Again, this is something I wrote back in October for KWmonth on tumblr. It's short, but enjoy.

“Don’t worry, buddy, we’re gonna get you out of here, just hold on, okay?”

Keith raised his head sluggishly and blinked at Lance.

“We’re gon’ get ouahere?” came his slurred reply.

“Yes, Keith,” Lance confirmed for what felt like the hundredth time. “I’m rescuing you. You were captured and they drugged you up pretty bad but we’re headed back to the castle.”

Keith’s head lolled forward on his chest again and dragged his feet. Lance groaned in frustration. “Come on, pendejo, work with me here.” He tried to pick up the pace, but Keith’s weight leaning against him was too heavy.

“What? Didn’t catch that buddy,” he said as he tilted his head down to hear what Keith was muttering. 

Keith tipped his chin up slightly and this time Lance could make out the words. 

“I wanna go home,” he wined.

Lance resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“I know, I do too, and we could get there a lot faster if you would cooperate a little!” 

Lance felt bad about being frustrated but it was hard not to be. Pidge told him he only had a brief window to get in, find, Keith, and get out before the security measures kicked in again. 

Finally, the hangar came into view. Blue opened her mouth to let Lance in and he hurried towards the small medical bay to safely store Keith for the ride home.

“Sit tight, man,” he said as he deposited the Red Paladin onto one of the cots. He turned to head back to the cockpit but was startled by a hand around his wrist. 

Keith had grabbed hold of his arm, surprisingly strong in his drug-induced daze, violet eyes fixing on Lance’s with startling intensity.

“No,” he said. “Stay, don’t leave.” His voice was weak.

Lance gently pried his fingers off. “Dude, I can’t stay. I have to fly Blue. We’re trying to get back to the castle, remember?” 

Keith shook his head.

“Don’t leave,” he insisted pathetically, trying to sit up, “I don’t wanna be alone, I’m always alone, Lance, I hate it.” Keith is rambling now, his eyes watery and unfocused. “Don’t leave me behind, please.” 

“Woah woah woah, hey, Keith, look at me.” Lance hurried back to Keith’s side, kneeling down so he was level with his eyes. “I’ll be back soon,” he explained, “I just have to leave for a bit to fly Blue.”

Lance wasn’t about to pretend he wasn’t completely out of his element. Comforting people he was good at, but comforting Keith? That was something new entirely. Keith was introverted, reserved, and snappish when provoked. He was a powerhouse in combat and a skilled pilot, and Lance had seen him run head on into situations that the rest of them would balk at. 

This side of Keith was completely new to him. And Lance couldn’t pretend it didn’t scare him a little bit. 

Despite his best attempts to soothe Keith’s fears, he didn’t seem to be having any of it. He shook his head vehemently.

“I don’t want to lose you guys.”

“I know, Keith. You won’t lose us.”

“Everyone always leaves.” Keith’s lower lip began to tremble and the tears that had begun to gather in his eyes slowly spilled over. 

Lance would be damned if his heart didn’t break right then and there. 

He let his instincts kick in and squeezed Keith’s hand. 

“Not us, Keith. We’re a team and you’re- you’re our friend. We’re not going to lose us, we’re gonna stick together.” He paused to brush a tear from Keith’s face with his thumb. 

“I’m not going anywhere. I need to go the cockpit so I can fly Blue out of this place. We should be back at the castle and when we get there I’ll come right back, we’ll fix you up, and I’ll be right there with you the whole time, okay?”

Keith sniffed and closed his eyes tight, but nodded weakly. He looked too out of it to answer. 

Lance sighed deeply. He smoothed Keith’s bangs out of his eyes and whispered. “I’ll be right back,” he promised, and shot to his feet to make it to the cockpit. 

He was still trying to process what just happened as the chair slid forward into flight position and he grabbed the yokes. Blue flickered to life around him and flooded his mind like a wellspring of cool water. Her presence was comforting, but Lance’s mind was still troubled, specifically by the high-as-a-kite Paladin in the medical bay. 

He was completely blown away by Keith’s tearful confession. As long as he had known Keith - which, admittedly, wasn't very long - he had never seen him so vulnerable. Had he been feeling like this this whole time? Lonely and isolated?

_I’m always alone, Lance, I hate it._

_Everyone always leaves_

_I don’t want to lose you guys too._

Lance shuddered. He had sounded so scared like he thought it was inevitable that he would be abandoned by everyone he knew. 

He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in Keith’s life that he felt that way. 

By now, they were approaching the Castle. Lance would have to put his worrying aside for now. But as he opened the comm to hail them, he made a mental note to talk to Keith about this later. 

He had some things to straighten out with him.

**Author's Note:**

> lance: src="not-on-my-watch.gif"


End file.
